The present invention relates to beverage brewing apparatus and more specifically to a beverage brewing apparatus, as well as a method for brewing beverages, which produces a brewed beverage within a desired beverage serving temperature range.
Recently, it has been discovered to be desirable to serve brewed beverages at a temperature which is within a serving temperature range which is lower than the temperature at which the beverage is brewed. The serving temperature is an elevated temperature satisfying a number of requirements for brewed beverages but which is lower than a temperature at which a beverage is brewed. Often, it is desirable to brew a beverage using water having a temperature near or below boiling, i.e. 200.degree. F.+5.degree./-10.degree.. Through substantial effort, the brewing temperature has been arrived at so that the proper flavor of the brewed beverage is achieved by extraction of certain oils, solids and other characteristics from a beverage brewing substance. When a brewing temperature substantially under 200.degree. F. is used, the same characteristics are not extracted from the beverage brewing substance.
It is important to the food service industry that the characteristics and quality of the brewed beverages which they serve to their patrons are maintained at a high quality and consistency. While it is advantageous to serve the brewed beverages at lower temperatures, such lower temperatures would jeopardize the quality, flavor, aroma and other characteristics of the brewed beverage. As such, there is a need to provide a beverage brewing appliance which brews a beverage using brewing water at a brewing temperature and dispenses the beverage into a receptacle at a serving temperature which is lower than the brewing temperature. It should be noted, that while some heat is lost during the brewing process, the heat loss generally is only a few degrees and is not sufficient to lower the temperature to a preferred serving temperature.
A variety of devices have been produced for use in brewing tea. These devices are mentioned herein as background since they employ a brewing appliance which brews a tea concentrate and then dilutes the concentrate. These devices have been designed specifically for use in brewing tea or for brewing coffee or tea using the same device upon making modifications thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,871 to Anson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,714 to Brewer, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,752 to Brewer (all assigned to the Assignee of the present invention upon the filing of the present application) shows some form of tea brewing device as mentioned hereinabove. These devices produce a tea concentrate and then introduce water to dilute the tea concentrate. Advantageously, each of the devices employs a double wall brewing funnel. Such a brewing funnel provides an interior chamber for retaining a brewing substance and a passage between the interior chamber and the outer funnel wall for passage of water therethrough. The double walled funnel provides the advantage of dispensing the dilution water used to dilute the tea concentrate and the point at which the tea concentrate is dispensed into a receptacle.
None of the above-referenced devices attempt to produce a brewed beverage having a serving temperature within a predetermined serving temperature range. In each of these devices, the goal is to provide iced tea having a desired dilution without any discussion of moderating the serving temperature.
As such, heretofore, Applicant does not know of any brewing appliances which brew a beverage at a desired brewing temperature and dispense the brewed beverage at a desired serving temperature.